Does adopting a multi-cloud strategy actually improve agility?

While multi-cloud strategies promise increased agility, the reality of this approach is much more complex

2nd August 2019

In the enterprise, more companies are beginning to adopt a multi-cloud strategy in order to effectively manage multiple cloud providers. However, some organisations may be falling short when it comes to remaining agile.

Adopting a multi-cloud strategy

For an enterprise using cloud services across a number of areas, it is incredibly difficult to find a singular public cloud infrastructure that addresses every requirement. As a result, more organisations are beginning to adopt a multi-cloud strategy.

In a recent Gartner survey of public users, for example, 81% of respondents said that they are currently working with two or more providers. As the research observes, choosing multiple cloud providers may be due to the dominance of “megavendors” in the market.

“Most organisations adopt a multi-cloud strategy out of a desire to avoid vendor lock-in or to take advantage of best-of-breed solutions,” Michael Warrilow, VP Analyst, Gartner notes. As a result, he expects most large organisations to continue to pursue this approach.

Does a multi-cloud strategy increase agility?

In theory, a multi-cloud strategy should deliver lower costs, while increasing innovation and agility. Nevertheless, a number of critics remain dubious in relation to whether these promises materialise in reality.

Indeed, Cloudsoft COO Steve Chambers insists that “it is an indisputable fact that to be good at just one cloud, never mind many, you have to invest in trained and experienced people, evolved processes, and new tooling and technology. This can cost millions of dollars and months of experience.”

However, Chambers adds that some multi-cloud providers fail to excel at even just one type of cloud. In addition to this, the higher the number of clouds means higher overheads and a diminished or shallow experience of each cloud.

Enterprises who adopt multi-cloud usually do so through a desire to increase agility or eliminate vendor lock-in. Nevertheless, it is worth considering that the reality of multi-cloud may be considerably different to its promise.